High explosive and process of making the same.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FLETCHER l3. HOLMES, OF WOODBUEY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE EASTERN DYNAMITE COMPANY, OF WILMINGTON. DELAWARE, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

HIGH EXPLOSIVE AND PROCESS OF MAKING THE SAME.

V Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 30 1906. Serial No. 308,978-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Ftn'rcnnn B. HOLMES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Woodbury, county of Gloucester, and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in High Explosives and Process of Making the Same, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to those non freezing pulverulent powders which contain an ungelatinized nitrated carbo-hydrate, for instance, nitro-cotton, nitro-starch and nitro-cellulose, as the whole or a prominent part of the explosive and also contain a solid imu'ganic oxidizing agent.

My invention cons' ts in an improved explosive, oi this character, in which the explosive is rendered water-proof without substantially impairing its sensitiveness.

My invention also consists in the process by which this improved explosive is produced.

My improyed explosive is an uncompressed, waterproof, pulverulent explosive consisting of a mixture of ungelatinized nitrated carbo-hydrate and a solid inorganic oxidizing agent and in which, throughout the explosive, substantially only the surfaces of the particles of nitrated carbohydrates are gelatinized by a liquid organic compound, preferably a liquid organic nitro-compound, which is a solvent of the nitrated carbohydrate, but which is insoluble in water, and the oxidizing agent is coated with said gelatinized nitrated carbo-hydra'te.

Nitro-glycerin is an example of a liquid organic compound which may be used and nitro-benzol is an example of an organic nitro compound which may be used. Nitrate of soda and nitrate of ammonia are examples oi inorganic oxidizing agents which may be used.

The process by which I produce this product consists in mixing with an ungelatinized nitrated carbohydrate, a solid inorganic oxidizing agent impregnated with a small amount of a liquid organic compound, preferably an organic nitro compound, which is a solvent of the nitrated carbo hydrate, but which is insoluble in water.

Patented. July 23, 1907.

By small amount I mean an amount insutlicient to act upon but a small portion of the nilral ed carbohydrate By this process the liquid organic compound is disseminated throughout the entire explosive, thus bringing all the particles, of nitrated carbo-hydrate under the action of the organic co mpound, yet giving to each particle but a small quantity of the organic compound to actnpon and thus each particle is substantially only superficially impregnated,

the main body of the ex plosive being inn-hanged and hence there is substantially no change in the sensitivencss of the explosive.

As an example, I first impregnate 30 parts oi nitrate of soda with 10 parts of nil-robenzol and to this add (ill parts of nitro-starch. As ani'ither example, I impregnate 2:) pa ts of nitrate of soda with 5 parts of nit1'l) gl \'cerili and to this add 70 parts of nitro-cellulose. These proportions need not be strictly followed. All that is necessary to bear in mind is that the liquid organic compound should be in a small amount, insullicienl. to act the nitrated carbo-hydrate.

upon but a small portion of Having now fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is- 1. An uncompressed. waterproof, pulverulent explosive consisting of :1 mixture of n ltrated carbohydrate, :1 solid inorganic oxidizingagent: and a non-volatile liquid org-unie compound which is a solvent of the nilrated carbohydrate and which is insoluble in water, in which, througlb out the explosive, only the surfaces oi 'the particles of nilrated carbohydrate :u'e gelatinized by said liquid organic compound. and the particles of said oxidizing agent are cooled with the superficially gelatinized nitrated carbuhydraie, substantially as described.

L. The process of making a waterproof explosive, which consists in mixing :in ung'eht tinized nitrated carbohydrate with a solid inorganic oxidizing: agent impregnated with a small amount of a liquid organic compound which is a.

-1 in I). SHARP, FRANCIS B. DAVlS.

hydrate but which is insoluntion, I have hereunto set my 0th day of March, 1906.

FLETCHER B. HOLMES. 

